The present invention relates to an improved communication system arranged to connect with the internet in the mobile environment. In particular, the present invention relates to the communication system which is arranged to communicate data between a mobile device and an access point of an internet provider through a wireless communication path between the mobile device and an instrument such as a public phone served as a contact point with the public line.
As the wireless communication technology, it is considered to use the Bluetooth (which is the inexpensive standards of the short-distance radio communication interface between the data and the voice through the use of the 2.4 GHz band) or a wireless LAN (which is the LAN standards of a short-distance wireless communication on the 2.4 GHz band).
Conventionally, in the case of executing the data communication in the mobile environment such as the outdoor like the office, in general, at first, a portable wireless phone such as a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) or a PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) is connected to the mobile device such as a notesized personal computer or a PDA (personal digital assistant). Then, the mobile device is served to dial an access point of the provider for accessing the internet or transferring electronic mails.
As the data communication method arranged to use a public phone, a public phone provided with an ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Communication Network) interface for data communication may be used for wired connection. In addition, another type of public phone provided with an IrDA (Infrared Data Association) port may be presented outdoor.
If not in the mobile environment, today, the LCR (Least Cost Routing) function may be used for the wired communication through the use of a wired phone line or the like. The LCR function is served to periodically transfer toll information of each phone company's line to a fixed phone with the LCR contract made and then to select the least inexpensive communication line based on the information. This LCR function is made available to the fixed (stationary) phone but not available to the mobile environment like the outdoor. That is, in the case of using the portable wireless phone such as the PHS or the PDC, for example, the LCR function is set so that no communication may be executed between the different wireless data communication carriers as in the case that the user uses the PDC made by the A company to access the base station of the B company. Nowadays, no choice is allowed from a plurality of carriers. This holds true to the IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telecommunications 2000).
As the prior art about the communication system in which a plurality of different communication paths are made avabvilable, there have been known the technologies in JP-A-9-172430 or JP-A-10-304071. In these prior arts, a plurality of wired communication circuits and a plurality of wireless communication circuits are provided in the communication system apparatus, which holds relevant data such as a transmission speed and a toll of each line so that the line may be automatically selected in accordance with the selected specifications inputted by the user.
Further, as another prior art, there have been known the technology in JP-A-2000-32047. This technology concerns with the mobile device (portable device) using the PHS as the communication means. The location information of each PHS is held in the PHS management center. The PHS management center operates to identify an area code of a public phone from the location information and to transfer this area code to the PHS. Then, the mobile device operates to automatically dial an access point of the provider with the most approximate specification on the basis of the content of the phone number list of all the access points of the connectable providers owned by the mobile device itself and the area code transferred from the management center.
The data communication through the use of the PHS or the PDC in the mobile environment of the foregoing prior art may use only the carrier of the PHS or the PDC used on the user's contract. At the contract time point of the PHS or the PDC, it is necessary to determine one carrier (of the communication company) to be used. The foregoing prior art allows a plurality of PHS or PDC carriers (communication companies) to be contracted. In this case, as the basic fee, the sum of the basic fees of the contracted carriers is required. The total cost is increased accordingly.
Afterwards, the deregulation of the communication results in increasing the number of new companies to be joined into the communication business, which may lead to the abrupt competition of tolls among the phone companies. Further, it is considered that the reduction or revision of the toll is frequently carried out. However, the foregoing prior art is required to determine the carrier (phone company) in the specification given when the PHS or the PDC is contracted. This makes it impossible to select a line at any place or time.
The foregoing LCR function is served to periodically transfer toll information of each company line to a fixed phone and select the least costly communication line based on the information. It cannot be used in the mobile environment like the outdoor as it is.
The prior arts disclosed in JP-A-9-172430 and JP-A-10-304071 are specified to have a plurality of wireless or wired communication devices. Hence, the user has to carry a plurality of wireless data communication devices. As mentioned above, the cost like the basic fees are increased. So are the overall weight of the devices carried by the user and the electronic power of the devices.
The prior art arranged to use the PHS disclosed in JP-A-2000-32047 is arranged to dial the nearest access point of the provider. As mentioned above, however, no choice of a low-toll line is allowed.
Moreover, the prior art arranged to use the public phone provided with the ISDN interface for data communication requires the user to connect the mobile device or the public phone through a cable at his or her own will and the user to search a proper access point of the provider and then dial it. The public phone provided with the IrDA port requires the user to move the mobile device in front of the public phone, make the IrDA port of the mobile device closer to the IrDA port of the public phone, and search the access point of the provider for dialing it. The both types of public phones burdens the user with a troublesome work.